Amendment to the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act  and the 
Specifications and Standards for Food s, Food Additives , Etc . 
 
The government of Japan will designate ammonium hydrogen sulfite water  as an 
authorized food additive  and establish compositional specifications  and use 
standards for this additive . 
 
Background  
Japan prohibits the sale  of food additives that are not designated by the Minister of 
Health, Labour and Welfare (hereinafter referred to as “the Minister”) under Article 
12 of the Food Sanitation Act (Act No. 233 of 1947; hereinafter referred to as “the 
Act”). In addition, when specifications or stand ards for food additives are stipulated 
in the Specifications and Standards for Foods , Food Additives , Etc. (Public Notice of 
the Ministry of Health and Welfare No. 370, 1959) , Japan prohibits the sale  of those 
additives unless they meet the specifications or the standards  pursuant to Article 13 
of the Act . 
 
In response to a request from the Minister, the Committee on Food Additives of the 
Food Sanitation Council under the Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation 
Council (hereinafter referred to as “the Committee”)  has discussed the adequacy of 
the designation of ammonium hydrogen sulfite water  as a food additive. The 
conclusion of the Committee  is outlined below.  
 
Outline of conclusion  
The Minister  should designate ammonium hydrogen sulfite water  as a food additive 
unlikely to cause harm to human health pursuant to Article 12 of the Ac t and should 
establish compositional specificatio ns and use standards for this additive pursuant 
to Article 1 3 of the Act (see Attachment  for the details ). 
  Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water 
亜硫酸水素アンモニウム水  
 
Standards for Use (draft)  
Permitted for use in grape juice used for wine production and grape wine only . 
Shall be used at  not more than  0.2 g/L in grape wine  as ammonium hydrogen sulfite . 
When Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water is used in grape juice used for wine 
production, this additive is considered to be used in grape wine.  
Shall not remain at a level not less than 0. 35 g/kg as sulfur dioxide in  grape wine  
(excluding  squeezed grape juice  used for wine production containing  not less than  
1 % (volume ) of ethanol  and the concentrate of squeezed grape juice ). 
 
Compositional Specifications (draft)  
Substance Name  Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water  
Definition  
Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water  is a solution  consisting mainly of  ammonium 
hydrogen sulfite . 
Content  
Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water  contains not less than 13.0% of ammonium 
hydrogen sulfite (NH 4HSO 3 = 99.11 ). 
Description   Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water  occurs as a light yellow  liquid . 
Identification  
(1) Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water  responds to all the tests for Sulfite and 
Bisulfite  and the test for  Ammonium Salt  in the Qualitative Tests.  
(2) Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water  contains  not less than 2.2 % as ammonia  
(NH 3=17.03).  
Weigh accurately  about 0.5 g of A mmonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water , add 25 mL of 
water  to dissolve it, and a dd 10 mL of sodium hydroxide solution ( 2 in 5). 
Immediately connect the flask containing this solution to a previously assembled 
distillation apparatus. The apparatus is equipped with a condenser joined to a 
delivery tube with a spray trap and the lower end of the condenser is immersed in 
30 mL of 0.1 m ol/L sulfuric acid, exactly measured, in a receiver.  Heat and distill Attachment  ammonia into the sulfuric acid until  about 25 mL of the distillate  is obtained.  Titrate 
the excess sulfuric acid in the receiver with 0.2 mol/L sodium hydroxide (indicator: 3 
drops of me thyl red TS). Determine the amount of ammonia  by the formula.  
Each mL of 0.1 mol/L sulfuric acid = 3.406  mg of NH 3 
Purity  
(1) Lead   Not more than  5 μg/g of NH 4HSO 3 as Pb  (an amount equivalent to 8.0 
g of ammonium hydrogen sulfite (NH 4HSO 3), Method  5, Control Solution:  Lead 
Standard  Solution  4.0 mL,  Flame Method) . 
Sample Solution   To the specified amount of Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite 
Water , add 20mL of diluted hydrochloric acid  (1 in 4), and boil gently for 5 minutes 
with a watch glass covering it. Allow  to cool.  Use this solution as the sample solution.  
If the sample does not dissolve completely, evaporate it to dryness, and add 20 mL of 
diluted hydrochloric acid (1 in 4) to the residue. Boil gently for 5 minutes, allow to 
cool, and use this solution as the sample solution.  
(2) Arsenic   Not more than 3 μg/g of NH 4HSO 3 as As (an amount equivalent to 
5.0 g of ammonium hydrogen sulfite (NH 4HSO 3), Standard Color: Arsenic Standard 
Solution 3.0 mL, Apparatus B).  
Test Solution   To the specified amount of Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water , 
add water to make 50 mL. Measure  10 mL of this solution, add 2 mL of sulfuric acid,  
and heat on a water bath until sulfur dioxide is no longer evolved. Evaporate to about 
2 mL, and add water to make 10 mL. Use 5 mL of this s olution as the test solution.  
Residue on Ignition   Not more than 0.2%  per ammonium hydrogen sulfite 
(NH 4HSO 3) (10 g). 
Assay    Weigh accurately about 0. 3 g of Ammonium Hydrogen Sulfite Water , and 
proceed as directed under Sulfite Determination.  
Each mL of 0.05 mol/L iodine = 4.955  mg of NH 4HSO 3